Each time a tank-type toilet is flushed, six to eight gallons of water go through the bowl and down the drain. The flushing of a toilet, in fact, consumes almost one half of the water used each day by a typical household--about 29 gallons of water per person is one estimate of the quantity. Because energy demands, and costs associated with water processing have increased substantially, there now exists a need to reduce the quantity of water used in all applications, including the flushing of toilets.
Numerous systems and devices have been proposed, and promoted, for reducing the amount of water used per flush of the toilet. These include smaller tanks, special valves, etc., all of which relate to controlling the amount of water entering the bowl. A review article describing typical devices, and their relative effectiveness, appears in Consumers Reports.COPYRGT., May 1979, beginning on page 296.
Whenever the volume of water dispensed into the bowl becomes too small, improper flushing occurs. By observation, I have determined that this is aggravated by the manner of distribution of water to the bowl surface, especially if non-uniform distribution occurs. Also, effective flushing action is reduced by swirling motion of water and waste against the bowl surface.